# Educate me about burritos, please **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [January 15, 2022, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849 "2022-01-15T14:55:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2022, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/161 "2022-01-18T17:00:53Z")
If you don’t remove the wrapper, then you can pull up the loose end and keep it off the bench or wall or beach or whatever. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2022, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/162 "2022-01-18T17:01:38Z")
Like look at these folks in Chicago eat a burrito. It’s unwrapped. A video for another place showed the same: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/rRdN4r0Wxxc/maxresdefault.jpg "Chicago Takeout: BURRITOS at El Famous Burrito in Rogers Park | Chicago Food") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRdN4r0Wxxc) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2022, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/163 "2022-01-18T17:02:10Z")
Rest it on the unwrapped foil or bag. That’s what I do. You’re not required to toss the foil or anything. How is it any different than eating a burger and finding a place to set it? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2022, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/164 "2022-01-18T17:05:25Z")
Weird. (So is sharing a burrito! 😲 ) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2022, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/165 "2022-01-18T17:11:10Z")
It’s been about thirty years since I’ve been able to eat one of those burritos by myself. It’s just too damned much food (which is partly why I prefer tacos and other dishes by a huge margin.) That said, the smaller style of burritos I’ve linked to upthread are fine. I really love Rita’s in Chandler. AZ. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2022, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/166 "2022-01-18T17:11:39Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I’ve never seen anyone entirely unwrap a burrito before eating it. The foil or the tortilla? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2022, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/167 "2022-01-18T17:17:10Z")
I have to admit I used to unwrap Del Taco’s Epic Breakfast Scrambler. I’d eat the insides with a fork and toss the tortilla, thereby saving 400 calories. But otherwise, unwrapping a burrito is as weird to me as unwrapping a Maid-Rite. Just asking for dry cleaning bills. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2022, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/168 "2022-01-18T17:18:57Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > If they’re folded properly, it’s not an issue. I eat them with the foil off. The problem is, of course, you don’t necessarily know if it’s folded properly until you start eating it. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2022, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/169 "2022-01-18T17:26:50Z")
I think most places that make those big burritos do it right in front of you, so you can see how they wrapped it. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2022, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/170 "2022-01-18T17:36:24Z")
Made that mistake with Maid-Rite the first time. I don’t ever recall a burrito turning into a mess. Keep the seam side up and wrap your hands around it while eating. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2022, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/171 "2022-01-18T17:43:24Z")
> [@sciurophobic](#): > > I’m trying to find a photo on Yelp of a burrito on a real plate that isn’t covered in sauce and I’m not having any luck. It may be a regional variation, but around here if you want a burrito covered in sauce and cheese it’s usually called a “wet burrito”. Or [this place](https://doscoyotes.com/menu/) has a variety of different styles, and the Ranchero Burrito comes with sauce, and the others don’t. But in general I’m pretty sure if you just order a burrito it comes without sauce, even at a sit down restaurant. Although I honestly don’t typically order a burrito when I’m at a sit down restaurant; burritos just feel more like a fast food item to me. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2022, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/172 "2022-01-18T18:02:01Z")
> [@sciurophobic](#): > > I’m trying to find a photo on Yelp of a burrito on a real plate that isn’t covered in sauce and I’m not having any luck. Fajita burrito at Chevys Fresh Mex, originally from Alameda, CA: [![](https://www.chevys.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/CHE_MM_FAJITA-BURRITO_11.13.18-380x380.jpg) ](https://www.chevys.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/CHE_MM_FAJITA-BURRITO_11.13.18-380x380.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2022, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/173 "2022-01-18T18:05:53Z")
I would eat that with my hands. ---
**Author:** ![sciurophobic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@sciurophobic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciurophobic)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2022, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/174 "2022-01-18T18:20:45Z")
Thank you. I only looked at Chevys near me on Yelp, and all the burritos were wet. ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2022, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/175 "2022-01-18T18:29:53Z")
> [@sciurophobic](#): > > I’m trying to find a photo on Yelp of a burrito on a real plate that isn’t covered in sauce and I’m not having any luck. That’s probably because most restaurants would call such an item a taco. Being larger and covered in sauce is what differentiates a taco from a burrito. > [@Skywatcher](#): > > Fajita burrito at Chevys Fresh Mex, originally from Alameda, CA: Something like this, for example, would be called a taco here in south Texas. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2022, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/176 "2022-01-18T18:38:32Z")
> [@FlikTheBlue](#): > > Something like this, for example, would be called a taco here in south Texas. I don’t think so. Not even in Texas. Flour tortilla, rolled, ends tucked in…that’s a burrito. A generic taco (meaning not a flauta or taquito) needs to be open on one side. That’s what makes a hot dog a taco. And burritos do not need sauce to differentiate them from tacos. I would also opine that any burrito served on a solid plate should be eaten with a knife and fork. If it is served to you wrapped in paper or foil, _then_ you use your hands. ---
**Author:** ![sciurophobic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@sciurophobic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciurophobic)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2022, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/177 "2022-01-18T18:48:50Z")
I’ve often seen the wrapped tacos you’re talking about referred to as tacos al carbon. On the other had I’ve also seen the same term used for the more classic soft corn tortillas filled with grilled meat and topped with onion and cilantro. I was very disappointed once when I ordered a plate expecting the latter and got the former. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2022, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/178 "2022-01-18T18:55:30Z")
> [@FlikTheBlue](#): > > That’s probably because most restaurants would call such an item a taco. Being larger and covered in sauce is what differentiates a taco from a burrito. I have never heard that definition of a taco before. At all the taquerias around here (Northern California) a taco is a small soft corn tortilla topped with meat, salsa, onions, and cilantro. And then there’s the American crunchy taco. A burrito is bigger, made with a flour tortilla and completely wrapped, and has more fillings. ETA: Wait, I might have misunderstood. I thought you were saying the taco was the one that was larger and covered in sauce. But maybe you might have meant that was the burrito. ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2022, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/179 "2022-01-18T19:08:09Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > I have never heard that definition of a taco before. At all the taquerias around here (Northern California) a taco is a small soft corn tortilla topped with meat, salsa, onions, and cilantro. And then there’s the American crunchy taco. A burrito is bigger, made with a flour tortilla and completely wrapped, and has more fillings. > > ETA: Wait, I might have misunderstood. I thought you were saying the taco was the one that was larger and covered in sauce. But maybe you might have meant that was the burrito. I think the confusion arises due to using the same terms for food items of different origins. Around here, for example, there’s three different types of foods called a taco. There’s the American style Taco Bell type crispy shell tacos. There’s traditional Mexican tacos, which are the small ones with corn tortillas and typically filled with some kind of shredded meat like carne pastor and topped with onions and cilantro. Then there’s the Tex-Mex style tacos, which are what I tend to think of when I hear the word taco. They have a flour tortilla and are usually filled with fajita meat for lunch or dinner, or potatoes, egg, chorizo, etc. for breakfast. ETA: Yes, I was comparing a burrito to a Tex-Mex style taco. A larger flour tortilla, usually topped with a sauce and having a larger variety of fillings like rice, vegetables, black olives, sour cream, etc. Around here at least whether it’s fully enclosed or open at the ends doesn’t seem to be what distinguishes the two. ETA2: Here is a menu of a typical local taqueria. Note the burrito dishes are served on plate and covered with sauce, while the tacos are in a rolled flour tortilla (the tacos al carbon on that menu, which are the Tex-Mex style tacos. The other two styles are also there under crispy tacos and taquitos Mexicanos. [http://www.taqueriajalisco.net/jalisco3-menu4web-111420.pdf](http://www.taqueriajalisco.net/jalisco3-menu4web-111420.pdf) ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2022, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849/180 "2022-01-18T19:15:05Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Like look at these folks in Chicago eat a burrito. Hey, don’t cite Chicagans as the proper way to eat a burrito and I won’t start making noises on what belongs on a fully dressed dog. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-about-burritos-please/957849.md?page=10)